Self-Compassion isn’t Always Easy: Helping Autistic Adults Navigate Difficult Responses to Self-Compassion Practices

There is growing research interest in examining how cultivating autistic adults’ self-compassion may improve their mental health and overall well-being. However, caution is needed in applying compassion-based therapies to autistic adults due to the phenomenon of backdraft, which is an intense, distressing reaction that can occur during self-compassion practices. Autistic individuals, often burdened with trauma and past adverse experiences, may be particularly vulnerable to backdraft. Preliminary research indicates that a large proportion of autistic adults report experiences of backdraft, indicating a significant potential for adverse short-term effects. This Perspective piece provides a brief overview of self-compassion and backdraft, highlights why backdraft is particularly relevant to self-compassion research involving autistic adults, and offers recommendations on how to study backdraft and clinically support autistic adults through their backdraft experiences. We advocate for research into the mechanisms of backdraft in autistic adults and stress the importance of trauma-sensitive therapeutic approaches. We also recommend that clinicians proactively address backdraft and provide the necessary support to ensure these therapies remain beneficial. This perspective underscores the importance of understanding the unique challenges autistic individuals face during self-compassion and compassion-based therapies and calls for rigorous research and clinical strategies to mitigate the risks associated with backdraft.